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With this, music lovers will have 24x7 access to the five Worldspace stations, including Farishta (Hindi film classics), Gandharv (Hindustani classical), Sparsha (Kannada), Spandana (Telugu), and Shruti (Carnatic music) at http://worldspace.msnserver.com/
sers can play any/all of the five channels basis their choice, and receive weekly and monthly program guides along with RJ profiles for particular channels. All they need is bandwidth in the region of 64 kbps.
According to Worldspace and MSN, the monthly fees are on the higher side because this is the only 'legal' online streaming channel where moneys go to the concerned artistes, and copyright fees end-up getting paid.
Of the five Worldspace stations accessible on MSN India, 'Farishta' plays Hindi music from the 40s to the 80s, packaged in a way so as to stimulate and entertain listeners.
'Gandharv' takes listeners through a melifluous journey of discovery into a genre as vast and ethereal as Hindustani Classical music. The station features some of the greats produced by this genre -- right from old timers like Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Ustad Allaudin Khan to contemporary masters, including Ustad Zakir Hussain, Vidushi Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, and Vidushi Shubha Mudgal.
Meanwhile, Shruti (Carnatic music), Sparsha (Kannada), and Spandana (Telugu) provide that distinct local flavor, and are intended to be a reflection of the tastes and culture of the people hailing from these regions of the country.
"We believe that with this initiative, we will help bridge the needs of Indians across the globe to be closely connected with their roots and Indian culture, and provide them a platform to savor songs online even when they don't have access to Worldspace Satellite Radio," said Velu Shankar, senior advisor - content and programming, Worldspace India.
"This association is part of our commitment to our users in bringing the best of entertainment online. Users now can listen to their favourite music online," said Jaspreet Bindra, country manager India - online service group, Microsoft.
"While music on the net is gaining popularity today, users in India do not have many radio stations online to listen to the music they love. Now, users in India can log on to MSN India and listen to music that is relevant to them," said Krishna Prasad, executive producer of MSN India.
Musician par excellence and brand ambassador for Worldspace, A R Rahman, said, "Technology is breaking barriers, and going beyond geographical boundaries helping musicians gain recognition outside India. At the same time making their music available worldwide."
Worldspace India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Worldspace, is headquartered out of Bangalore, and boasts a range of over 40 radio stations across musical genres.
The offline service has about 1,70,000 subscribers across the country. It's Indian programming includes 2 Indian classical stations -- Shruti (Carnatic) and Gandharv (Hindustani), as well as regional stations -- Sonar (Bengali), Sparsha (Kannada), Spandana (Telugu), Tunak Punjabi (Punjabi), Falak (Urdu & Ghazals), Surabhi (Marathi), Radio Umang (Gujarathi), to name a few.
While the offline service is reasonably popular, the association with MSN India is an exercise in increasing the reach of Worldspace through the online medium. For MSN too, it's as much about increasing reach, as it is about giving consumers something unique and exclusive vis-a-vis competitors in the online space.
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